Leclerc Evolution is a French prototype of the enhanced fourth-generation

main battle tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank or simply tank,Ogorkiewicz 2018 p222 is a tank that fills the role of armour-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more po ...

(MBT) developed and manufactured by the

KNDS France KNDS France (formerly known as Nexter, GIAT Industries or ''Groupement des Industries de l'Armée de Terre'', Army Industries Group) is a French government-owned weapons manufacturer, based in Versailles. The company was wholly government-owned ...

. The project was presented during the

Eurosatory Eurosatory is the largest international exhibition for the land and air-land defence and security industry. It is held every two years in the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre, Paris, France. In 2022, it gathered over 1,700 exhibitors and ...

2024. Tank is equipped with a turret armed with the

ASCALON Ascalon or Ashkelon was an ancient Near East port city on the Mediterranean coast of the southern Levant of high historical and archaeological significance. Its remains are located in the archaeological site of Tel Ashkelon, within the city limi ...

(Autoloaded and SCALable Outperforming guN) gun, capable of firing 120 or 140 mm shells, an ARX30 turret, a PASEO sight coupled with a 7.62 mm machine gun, a "Trophy" active protection system and the ability to use remotely operated ammunition. According to

BFM TV BFM TV (, stylized as BFMTV) is a French news broadcast television and radio network, wholly owned by RMC BFM. The flagship property of the RMC BFM division of CMA CGM, its headquarters are located in Paris. As the country's most-watched new ...

, Leclerc Evolution will be operational in 2030 and KNDS France is said to be in discussions with several countries. KNDS France explained that the Leclerc Evolution is not intended to compete with the latest versions of

Leopard 2 The Leopard 2 is a third generation German main battle tank (MBT). Developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s, the tank entered service in 1979 and replaced the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the West German army. Various iterat ...

or future joint offerings (

EMBT ADT140 EMBT (also E-MBT) is a French-German prototype of the enhanced fourth-generation main battle tank (MBT) developed and manufactured by the KNDS. The tank was presented during the Eurosatory 2018, and 2022. The new version was presented during th ...

). The idea is to offer it in markets where the Leopard is not considered the appropriate solution.

See also